The role of p53 and MDM2 in tumor formation and its therapeutic potential

Abstract

Tumor formation is a complicated process that involves the dysfunction of major cell cycle regulation genes. Due to the variety of pathways to forming various cancers, researchers are striving to find out how major tumor suppressor genes are inactivated. The inactivation of the p53 protein has been identified in over half of cancers, leading to questions regarding its role in the aggregation of cancer cells. Studies have shown that too much p53 expression could contribute to cancer progression which makes activation of p53 by itself may not have therapeutic potential. This information has given rise to an important area of study in which activation of p53 occurs in proper quantities by inhibiting its negative regulator protein, MDM2 (Murine Double Minute 2). The following study identifies multiple pharmaceutical compounds which target MDM2 inhibition, releasing the p53 in an active state to induce apoptosis.